Strictly Business
by CleverChaos
Summary: After her father's sudden death, Misaki Ayuzawa agrees to a marriage in order to continue running his company. She certainly never expected to be marrying her college rival.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: After her father's sudden death, Misaki Ayuzawa agrees to a marriage in order to continue running his company. She certainly never expected to be marrying her college rival.**

**...**

"Yukimura, I need those contracts on my desk now." Misaki yelled at her assistant as she entered the office. He obediently followed behind her, trembling as he tried not to agitate her further.

"I have them right here!" Yukimura handed her the stack, which she yanked from his hand. "Ms. Ayuzawa…are you sure you should be here? Your father's funeral was yesterday, wasn't it?" Misaki tossed the pile of papers onto her desk, though she calmed slightly at the mention of her father.

"Please don't speak about my father." Misaki sighed, not wanting to terrorize Yukimura further. It wasn't his fault that her father had passed away, leaving the entire business in her hands.

"Y-yes Ms. Ayuzawa…you have a meeting with the board in ten minutes." Yukimura retreated, leaving Misaki alone in her office. She calmed herself and smoothed out her clothing before making her way to the conference room. This meeting was bound to be interesting.

"Gentleman," Misaki greeted the members of the board, ignoring her immediate feeling of hatred towards the men. The business world had always been overwhelmingly dominated by males, much to Misaki's displeasure.

"Ms. Ayuzawa, let's get straight to the point," Kaoru Amaka, the CFO, spoke. He was the eldest of all the board members. "You aren't equipped to run this company."

"Excuse me?" Misaki scowled, knowing exactly where this conversation was going.

"You're a woman without an MBA, and you think you should take your father's place?" Another member piped in, further pissing Misaki off. This was obviously a group decision that had been made without her.

"I am a woman, and I'm also a Harvard educated business attorney. Not to mention, my father spent nearly a decade training me for this. I might not have years of experience, but I certainly have the qualifications." Misaki argued, standing up and glaring at the board.

"That may be true, but without the support of the board, you will not run this company. Combined with the shareholders, we own 55% of Ayuzawa Inc., which means we can and will appoint a new CEO." Mr. Amaka spoke again, smirking at Misaki as she resisted the urge to strangle the man.

"I'm still the acting CEO, appointing a new director will take time. My family owns 45% of this company, what's stopping me from acquiring more shares and throwing all of you out?" Misaki threatened, hoping the board wouldn't take it that far. The men laughed at her threat; buying more shares would be nearly impossible. She slammed her hand down on the table to shut them up, "What if I acquire enough shares to make me majority shareholder? I would be able to overpower your decisions."

"Technically, yes, but the shareholders are loyal to us. It would be a hopeless endeavor." Mr. Amaka spoke, he was obviously the leader of this little takeover attempt.

"How are you so certain that the shareholders will support you?" Misaki demanded, placing her hands on her hips as she addressed him.

"The shareholders trust us, and though they trusted your father, you're not him. If we advise them to appoint a new CEO, they will follow our lead." The board members all vocalized their agreement.

"Give me one week. I'll prove you wrong." Misaki responded, her anger was so strong it was almost seeping out of her pores. Mr. Amaka chuckled at her audacity as he answered.

"Fine, one week—and If you fail, you step down as CEO immediately." Misaki thought it over for a moment, though she already knew her decision. If she couldn't do this, she didn't deserve the company.

"We have an agreement." Fire burned in Misaki's eyes as she shook his hand. "Meeting dismissed." She ordered, calmly walking out of the room and back to her father's office.

"Yukimura, schedule a meeting with Walker for tomorrow. Tell his secretary that I have a business proposition for him, he won't turn that down." Misaki ordered before she entered the room and locked the door behind her, finally letting out her frustration.

"Damn it!" Misaki muttered, kicking off her heels and throwing her blazer onto the sofa as she began to pace up and down the room. In theory, Misaki could understand the viewpoint of the board, but the truth of the matter was that she _was_ the best suited to take over. She knew everything there was to know about the company, it's partnerships, and even the employees. No newcomer would have that type of knowledge.

Unfortunately, in order to become the majority shareholder, she needed at least 6% more of the shares. There was only one shareholder who owned more than that: Richard Walker, CEO of Walker Corporation.

The company was a huge rival of theirs, and Misaki's father owned a portion of their shares as well. She figured it was possible to barter some sort of deal to trade their shares, but it meant she would have to meet with Richard. He had been running Walker Corp. longer than she'd been alive, convincing him to agree to a deal benefitting his competitor would be incredibly difficult.

This was why she hated men. They treated women like they were unable to do anything on their own. She had spent years building up her reputation, but still, they didn't trust her or believe she was capable of filling her father's shoes. If doing the impossible was what it took for them to take her seriously, she'd do absolutely anything to achieve it.

One thing was for sure: if the board wanted a fight, she was sure as hell going to give them one.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary: After her father's sudden death, Misaki Ayuzawa agrees to a marriage in order to continue running his company. She certainly never expected to be marrying her college rival.**

**...**

Misaki sighed as her car entered the city. The place that had once brought her so much joy almost seemed like a prison now. The car pulled up in front of the Walker Corp. building, where Richard Walker's secretary, Maria Miyazono, was already waiting for her.

"Ms. Ayuzawa, what a pleasure!" Maria exclaimed, smiling as she cheerfully walked Misaki into the building. "Richard is waiting for you in his office."

"I know how to get there, Maria." Misaki laughed, though Maria still didn't budge. As they made their way up to the upper floors, Misaki's anxiety started to grow. She hadn't exactly thought this through much. Asking someone like Richard Walker for a favor was laughable, but it was pretty much the only option. Misaki ignored her feelings of doubt as she stepped into the man's office.

"Ms. Ayuzawa, when I heard you wanted to meet with me I was quite surprised." Mr. Walker stood. "I was sorry to hear of your father's passing."

"Thank you, Mr. Walker. I appreciate the thought, though it's somewhat hard to believe considering you were my father's biggest competitor." Misaki responded, shaking his hand before seating herself.

"It's the truth. Your father was a worthy competitor and I wished for his success. I am truly sorry for your loss. I lost my daughter many years ago, I understand that type of grief." Mr. Walker responded, Misaki blanched in response. She didn't know much about the Walker family, aside from the fact that Mr. Walker had two grandsons.

"My apologies for the accusation," Misaki muttered, hoping she didn't upset the person she was trying to make a business deal with.

"Onto important subjects; why exactly are you here, Ms. Ayuzawa?" Mr. Walker asked, leaning back slightly as he waited for an explanation.

"I have a proposition for you, one which may be beneficial for the both of us. To put it simply, a trade," Misaki looked him in the eye, "your Ayuzawa Inc. shares for my Walker Corp. shares."

"Why now? It's been decades since I've acquired them." Mr. Walker asked, his tone telling Misaki he already knew more than he was letting on. This was certainly a test. Misaki paused for a moment, knowing whether she told him the truth or not, this whole thing was a long shot.

"The executive board wants me to step down as CEO, and I want to prevent that. To do that, I need to own a majority of the company. Your 8% would put me at 53%. In exchange, you'll get the 6% I own of Walker Corp." Misaki admitted, figuring the truth was better than a lie he would probably see right through.

"You have guts to make a proposal like this. Your father would be impressed." Walker smiled at Misaki, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion as she waited for him to continue. "I have a proposition of my own."

"I'm listening." It was Misaki's turn to sit back and wait this time.

"I will return your shares to you," Misaki straightened back up at those words, "but I want you to marry my grandson—"

Her mouth fell open, she _definitely_ hadn't expected those words to come from his mouth.

"W-what?!" Misaki exclaimed. "How would that benefit anyone?" Marriage wasn't something she had thought much about, but the prospect of marrying a stranger made her cringe.

"I didn't finish. You marry my grandson, Takumi, and we merge our companies together. You and Takumi will run the company side by side. It's about time I retire." Misaki unconsciously bit her lip, trying to wrap her mind around the idea. She also wondered why the name Takumi was so familiar.

"Why not simply trade the shares? Once I have majority control, we could still merge. I'm still not seeing how marriage would be beneficial." Misaki rationalized.

"I want my grandson married before he takes my place. Who better than a strong, well-educated, beautiful heiress such as yourself? Together the two of you would be certainly keep our businesses successful." Mr. Walker answered, smiling as Misaki processed.

"What would your grandson think of this idea?" Misaki asked. She wasn't the only one in this agreement, and if his grandson backed out she didn't want the deal to be thrown out. Misaki was definitely not the marrying type; she wasn't feminine and innocent, and she refused to be controlled.

"Takumi knows the marriage guarantees him this company. He will agree." Mr. Walker assured, though it wasn't enough for Misaki.

"I need a guarantee that if your grandson doesn't see it through, I still keep the shares. I'm making an agreement with you, but there's no telling how he'll react."

"As I said, you're intelligent. If my grandson disagrees, the shares will still be yours." Misaki nodded, pausing briefly before she continued.

"I also have a few conditions. We can merge companies as soon as possible, but I need a period of one month before formally announcing an engagement to the media, and I want an engagement period of at least six months." Misaki ordered, "I'm fully capable of running my father's company alone, I don't want the world assuming I need a man to do it."

"Done." Mr. Walker easily agreed. "Does this mean you accept?" He questioned.

"Not yet. If I agree to this, it means I'm doing it on my own time. I will be the one to plan and organize the wedding. If the Walker family tries to pressure me in any way, our agreement is voided. Understood?"

"Of course." Mr. Walker confirmed, utterly fascinated by her personality. He had never met anyone who thought so quickly on her feet. After hearing the proposal once, she was already amending it.

"Then yes, I accept." Misaki finally answered. They both stood, shaking hands once more in agreement. "But I'm a lawyer, and I need a formal contract to review and revise within the next day or two. I've only been given until the end of the week to become majority shareholder."

"I already have a contract prepared." Mr. Walker announced, pulling a packet out of his desk. Misaki gaped at the man.

"You planned this?" Misaki asked incredulously. How the hell had he known she would ask for the shares? "It was Amaka, wasn't it? He told you."

"He did, warning me you'd try and acquire your shares from me."

"That bastard." Misaki growled. "If you were warned, then why agree to give me the shares?"

"Because of your father. Sakuya and I always had a mutual respect. I wouldn't betray him, or by extension, you."

"That's why he owned your shares, isn't it?" Misaki asked, sighing when Mr. Walker nodded. She knew she shouldn't be surprised. It was just like her father to befriend and support his enemy, rather than fight him.

"You can revise the contract as you see fit. We can meet once more tomorrow to finalize the details." Mr. Walker handed her the papers. "Any other questions?" He asked.

"You have two grandsons. Why only have one inherit the CEO title?" Misaki suddenly blurted. In her family it had always just made sense that Misaki take over, her sister Suzuna had never been interested in the business world.

"Gerard, my elder grandson, is a shrewd business man, but he has many health issues. Takumi was never interested in taking my place, but we both know Gerard cannot physically handle the stress of this position, so he agreed." Mr. Walker answered.

Misaki couldn't help but relate to Takumi already; her own desire to take over Ayuzawa Inc. had less to do with wanting to be CEO and more to do with maintaining her father's memory and goals for the company. Her mind began to wander, curious about her potential future husband.

"I only have one more condition. I need to meet him, Takumi, before I sign. I'm sure you can arrange that." Misaki requested.

"I'll see to it that a meeting is set up." He confirmed. "This is premature, but Ms. Ayuzawa, welcome to the Walker family." Misaki smiled painfully, finally comprehending that signing this contract meant she was effectively giving part of herself away.

As she started to make her exit she glanced back at Mr. Walker. He seemed genuinely pleased about this whole arrangement, which was the only reason why Misaki decided this was the best idea. Just as she turned back around, someone walked into Mr. Walker's office and immediately into Misaki. She felt herself falling, but the stranger caught her.

"Ayuzawa?" His deep voice questioned. She pulled back, recognition stirring as she stared into his emerald eyes.

"You?!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary: After her father's sudden death, Misaki Ayuzawa agrees to a marriage in order to continue running his company. She certainly never expected to be marrying her college rival.**

**...**

"_You?!"_ Misaki gasped. His eyes were shining, thoroughly amused by her reaction to his appearance. It had been years since they'd last seen one another.

"You should really watch where you're going." He whispered teasingly. His hands grasped her waist, keeping her body pressed against his own. Misaki sputtered indignantly as she unsuccessfully tried to push him away.

"Usui, you pervert!" Misaki exclaimed, a slight blush tinging her cheeks. "What the hell are you doing here?" Last she'd heard, he had graduated with a joint law/business degree from Yale. He always had been such an overachiever.

Mr. Walker walked out of his office, directly into their odd encounter. She was so caught up in Usui's presence, Misaki had completely forgotten she was right outside of Mr. Walker's office.

"You know one another?" Mr. Walker questioned, though Misaki wasn't sure if the question was directed to herself or Usui. At the sound of Richard's voice, Usui finally released his grasp on Misaki.

"We were acquaintances in college." Usui explained vaguely.

Misaki scoffed, turning towards Mr. Walker before giving him a longer explanation. "We were in almost all of same classes and he edged me out for first rank in half of them. I spent far too much of my time in college around him, mostly wishing I could throw him out of window." Misaki growled, glaring at Usui. She glanced back to Mr. Walker, wondering why he seemed so entertained by this encounter.

"You're just upset that I'm smarter than you." Usui teased. Misaki huffed in response resisting the urge to smack him, yet simultaneously wanting to get as far away from him as possible.

"Well, you definitely have a bigger ego." Misaki quipped. Usui simply laughed in response to her agitation, which only made Misaki more agitated.

"Ms. Ayuzawa, this is my grandson, Takumi." Mr. Walker interrupted their argument. Misaki's eyes widened, staring back and forth between the two men.

"You're kidding?" Misaki gasped, gaping at Takumi as she tried to process the information. "Takumi Usui…is actually Takumi Walker. Of all the men in the universe, of course it had to be you." She dropped her head into her hands in exasperation, no wonder the name Takumi had been so familiar to her. This whole situation was a complete mess.

"Are you that disappointed by the prospect of marrying me?" Takumi teased, grinning at the violent reaction his comment elicited from the woman. Misaki felt like an idiot, this was the second time today that someone had been one step ahead of her. No wonder Mr. Walker had been so sure that Takumi would agree, he already _had_ agreed.

"Why on earth would you agree to marry me?" Misaki glared at Usui.

"I'm madly in love with you." Takumi teased, grinning as Misaki's face went completely red.

"_What?! _You bastard, stop playing with me!_" _Misaki yelled, clenching her hands into fists as she resisted the urge to punch him. His casual attitude about all this was driving Misaki insane. She was about to yell at him again but once again remembered that this awkward encounter was happening in the presence of Richard Walker.

"I need to go. I'll see you tomorrow, Mr. Walker." Misaki declared, giving Richard a smile and scowling at Takumi before retreating as quickly as possible. She was barely paying attention as she made her way to her car. She spent the entire ride home completely silent, trying to make sense of everything that had just happened.

Usui had always been a complete mystery, yet he had just become even more complicated. After graduating college, she had been entirely convinced she'd never see him again. Ironically, when she got up to her penthouse apartment, she saw Usui for the second time that day. There he was, waiting outside her door.

"I knew you were a stalker, but this is just too much!" Misaki yelled. "How the hell did you get here so fast?" Misaki whacked him with her purse before entering her apartment, knowing he'd follow her inside. She set her purse and the contract down on the console table at the door before shrugging off her jacket and tossing it onto the sofa.

"I'm an alien, remember?" Takumi smiled, his comment eliciting another blush from the young woman. She hated that despite not seeing him in five years, he had the same effect on her.

"Ah yes, I'd love to reminisce about our college days." Misaki crossed her arms, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She hadn't been entirely honest with Richard Walker earlier. While she and Takumi had certainly started off as rivals, but after two years of seeing each other nearly every day, they had formed somewhat of a companionship.

"I've missed you, Ayuzawa. Did you miss me?" Takumi's voice was sweet now, though it still made Misaki blush. She was tempted to lie to him, but somehow, she just couldn't bring herself to do it.

"I haven't thought about you in a while, but, yeah, I missed you." She turned her head, staring out the window to avoid looking at him. She had never been the best at expressing her emotions, especially when it came to her friends and family. Misaki was known for bottling up all her feelings and pretending they didn't exist.

"See, that wasn't so hard, was it, Misa?" Takumi teased. Misaki stared at him for a moment before turning and walking to her bedroom. She closed the door, leaning against it and letting out a long sigh. A part of her wanted to throw him out of her apartment, but another, less dominant, part of her wanted to keep him there. She finally stood up after a few minutes, changing into sweats and a t-shirt before leaving her bedroom.

Unfortunately, Takumi wasn't where she left him so she had to wander around and look for him. She finally found him in the kitchen, looking through her fridge. "What are you doing?"

"It's really a shame to have such a beautiful kitchen when you don't use it." Takumi commented, closing the fridge as he turned to face her. She caught his eyes roaming over her body and she crossed her arms, suddenly feeling uneasy.

"Really Usui, what are you doing here?" Misaki questioned, unconsciously biting her lip as she sat down and waited for a response.

"I was worried about you." Takumi's answer was entirely unexpected. Misaki looked up and immediately shifted her gaze when she saw the concern visible in his eyes. It wasn't that odd, she supposed, but he was the only person to actually say it out loud. "Ayuzawa, are you okay?" Takumi approached, trapping her as he put his hands on either side of the counter where she was seated at the island.

"I-idiot Usui, I'm fine." Misaki stuttered, but continued to avoid eye contact. It wasn't until his arms actually wrapped around her waist that she looked at him, but he just silently pulled her into a loose hug. "What are you doing?" She questioned again, pushing him away.

"You're not, your father died." Takumi's voice was gentle, but his words angered her a little.

"You don't know me." Misaki whispered, trying to push him away even further. He didn't budge this time, instead wrapping his arms back around waist more tightly.

"Yes, I do. I know you better than anyone." Takumi's breath tickled Misaki's neck, but she couldn't help but feel comforted by his warmth.

"No, you don't, idiot Usui." She argued, though this time she wrapped her arms around his torso, resting her head against his shoulder.

"You're so sly, Ayuzawa."


End file.
